Best Day Trips from Sofia: Rila Monastery, Boyana Church and Plovdiv

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I’m heading to Sofia this month, and while I’m there I want to get out of the city at least once. Three day trips keep coming up in my research: Rila Monastery in the mountains, Boyana Church on the edge of Sofia, and Plovdiv, Bulgaria’s second city. I haven’t done any of them yet, so this is my pre-trip homework: how to do each one on your own, what a tour gets you, and the official hours and prices I found. I’ll come back and update it afterwards.

If you missed it, my Sofia on a Budget pre-trip guide covers getting around the city, the metro and the free walking tour. One quick reminder from that post: Bulgaria uses the euro now, so every price here is in euros.

1. Rila Monastery

Rila is the big one, and it’s the trip I’m planning first. It sits deep in the Rila Mountains, south of Sofia, and it is the best-known monastery in Bulgaria.

Doing it independently

This is where older guides will catch you out. Plenty of blogs still describe a direct public bus from Sofia’s Ovcha Kupel bus station. But the monastery’s own “How to Get There” page now says that, despite numerous attempts to restore public transport, access is only by other means. So I wouldn’t turn up at Ovcha Kupel expecting a bus.

Instead, private shuttles run from Sofia on set days. Check the times, the pick-up point and, above all, the return time before you book, because if you miss your ride back you’re on your own in a mountain valley.

The other independent route is the one the monastery itself suggests: a bus to Blagoevgrad, then a taxi. I cover it in the cheaper option below.

Cheaper option: bus to Blagoevgrad plus taxi

I haven’t done this route myself, so this is what I found in my research, not first-hand experience.

• The bus: buses to Blagoevgrad leave from Sofia Central Bus Station (Avtogara Serdika). In October 2026 its departures board listed morning buses at 06:40, 08:10, 08:30 and 09:45 (Union Ivkoni) and 11:00 (Struma 11), with more through the afternoon until 19:00, according to a guide that checked it in October 2026. The journey takes about 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours 10 minutes, and the listed fare was €7 one way. I couldn’t load the station’s own site to double-check, so check the fare and times there or at the ticket desk.
• The taxi: I found no official taxi fare from Blagoevgrad to the monastery, so the price is unknown. One local guide puts the drive at about 45 to 60 minutes.
• Agree the return first. Agree the price, how long the driver will wait and the trip back before you set off, because finding a taxi at the monastery in the late afternoon isn’t guaranteed. If there are two or three of you, splitting the taxi makes this much better value.
• Check where the quote starts. Rila town is about 20 km from the monastery, so a quote from there is a much shorter run than one from Blagoevgrad.

On a winter day, I’d take one of the early buses so there’s enough daylight at the monastery and time to get back for an evening bus to Sofia.

What it costs to get in

According to the monastery, entry to the grounds and main church is free. The museums charge, and a combined ticket for all the exhibits is €12, sold only at the monastery. The museums open daily from 08:30 to 16:30.

Or take a tour

Honestly, this is where a tour makes sense. Transport, timing and the return are all handled, and many tours also stop at Boyana Church on the way back. You can compare Rila Monastery day trips before you choose.

2. Boyana Church

Boyana is the easiest of the three, because it’s actually in Sofia, on the slopes of Vitosha. It’s a small medieval church famous for its frescoes, and it’s on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Getting there

Take metro line M2 to Vitosha station, then bus 64 to the Boyansko Hanche stop. From there it’s a short walk uphill to the church. Buses 107 and 65 also serve the area. It is all on a normal Sofia city-transport fare.

Hours and tickets

• Winter hours (1 November to 31 March): 09:00 to 17:30, daily, with the ticket office open until 17:20.
• Tickets: €10 for individual visitors, €3 for students.
• Free entry: on the last Monday of the month after 15:00, and on a few set days, including 1 November.
• Closed: 1 January, Orthodox Easter Sunday, and 24 and 25 December.

Only a small number of people go in at a time, for up to about 10 minutes. Small, but by all accounts worth it.

If you’d rather combine it with Rila in one go, many Boyana and Rila tours do exactly that.

3. Plovdiv

Plovdiv is Bulgaria’s second city, with an old town and Roman remains. It’s the trip I’d do by public transport without a second thought.

By train

Bulgarian State Railways (BDZ) runs direct trains from Sofia to Plovdiv. The timetable I checked showed several direct trains a day, taking roughly 2 hours 40 minutes to just over 3 hours. Fares vary by train, day and time, so check the current fare on the official BDZ ticket site, https://bileti.bdz.bg, or at the station. Some trains need a seat reservation.

By bus

Buses run from Sofia’s Central Bus Station. One operator, Arda Tur, listed departures taking about 2 hours, from €9 one way, when I checked on 1 November 2026. Other companies run the route too.

Or take a tour

If you’d like someone to show you the old town and the Roman sites, you can compare Plovdiv day trips from Sofia. Doing it yourself by train or bus, though, is the cheapest way.

Independent or tour: a quick comparison

Trip	On your own	Journey time	Tour worth it?
Rila Monastery	Private shuttle, or bus to Blagoevgrad (€7) and a taxi (fare unknown)	Allow most of the day	Yes, mostly for the transport
Boyana Church	Metro M2 and bus 64	Within the city	Not really, unless you combine it with Rila
Plovdiv	BDZ train (fares vary) or bus from €9	About 2h40 to 3h by train, about 2h by bus	Only if you want a guide

Planning tips for a winter day trip

I’m travelling in November, and that changes things. Days are short, so the timings matter more than they would in summer.

• Start early. With shuttles and tours, the return time sets how long you get at the monastery, so I’d decide in advance whether to spend it in the museums or just walking around the courtyard.
• Watch the free days. Boyana Church is free on the last Monday of the month after 15:00. If your dates line up, that saves you €10. Expect it to be busier, though, and remember only a few people go in at a time.
• Book the train online. BDZ sells tickets online, and since prices vary by day and time, it’s worth checking a couple of departures before you choose.
• Dress for the mountains. Rila is much higher and colder than Sofia, so take an extra layer even if the city feels mild.
• Cash and cards. I’d carry a little cash for snacks and small purchases, as I explain in my apps, cash and hire guide.

Which one would I pick?

If you’ve only got time for one, I’d say Rila, but go by tour or a private shuttle rather than hoping for a public bus. Boyana is the easy half-day you can do on city transport. Plovdiv is the one to do independently if you like trains and wandering.

I’m planning Rila first, while I’m in Sofia this month. I’ll update this post with what I actually did, what it cost and whether the tour was worth it.

Before you go

• Data: get an eSIM sorted so maps and tickets work. Airalo has Bulgaria and Europe-wide plans.
• Bag: take a small daypack only. I travel light anyway, as I explain in Carry-On Only.
• Check times: shuttles, trains and opening hours change with the season, so check them the day before.
• Other tours: if none of these appeal, you can browse other day trips from Sofia.

Then head over to my Athens pre-trip guide, as that’s where I’m going next.

Prices and times were correct at the time of writing (November 2026) and can change.